Country Western Club Rivalry Turns Nasty

HOUSTON (CN) – Buck Wild, a country-western club, sued a competitor, claiming the rival sabotaged its grand opening with a phony website that “referred to Buck Wild as ‘Butt Wild,'” and included a photo of men having sex. Buck Wild sued Big Texas Dance Hall & Saloon in Harris County Court. Both clubs are in the Houston suburb Clear Lake, home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Buck Wild held its grand opening on April 26. “At or near this time, the owners and operators of another country western club in the same area of Clear Lake, Big Texas, created a false website for Buck Wild with the sole intent of injuring its reputation and injuring its business,” the lawsuit states. “The false website created and posted on the web referred to Buck Wild as ‘Butt Wild’ and had a picture on the website at the very front and center of a naked man having anal sex with another naked man. Under the picture is the following invitation: Buck Wild Clear Lake is the #1 gay and lesbian country nightclub in the Houston area! Cum and get Butt Wild and Buck Wild.” Buck Wild claims its business suffered as its owners “tried for months” to get the hoax website taken down. A message left with a Big Texas Dance Hall employee seeking comment from the owner was not returned. The employee said: “I don’t think my boss would do anything like that.” Buck Wild seeks punitive damages for business disparagement, loss of past and future business and damage to reputation. It is represented by Mark Lazarz with Shellist Lazarz Slobin of Houston.